Absorbent block



W. C. JOHNSON. IABSORBENT BLOCK. APPLICATION FILED MAY 3 ms.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.f

WIL IAM G. JOHNSON, or Mam 1 ers, 'rnmvnssnn.

ABSORBENT BLOCK.

To all whom it may concern Be 1t known that 1, WILLIAM C. JOHN- soN, a citizen 01" the United States, and residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement n Absorbent Blocks, or" which the following specification is a full disclosure.

My invention deals with the production of a highly absorbent block or pad composed of a cotton fiber or vegetable pulp compressed into a solid unitary body. This product is particularly adaptable as an article of manufacture in the form of a block, inserted-within a suitable holder, for use as a blotter, which will quickly and. effectively absorb or take up ink, possessing long as a new article of manufacture, a cotton fiber compressed'into the form of a block or pad for use as a desk blotter.

@ther objects and advantages of the same will in part be obvious from the annexed drawings and following description thereof.

The drawing illustrate the invention as an article of manufacture preferably in the term of ablotter block inserted within a holder for which the product is particularly adaptable, and in such drawings, like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, of which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the blotter block and holder.

Fig. 2 is a central section through the same.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the compressed fiber block.

The fiber stock utilized by my invention comprises a fine cotton fiber or lint which normally adheres to the cotton seed after inning or to the hulls or capsules, which lias to be separated from the hulls or capsules. This fiber or lint is physically and Specification of Letters Eatenti Application filed May 3, 1919. Serialfiol 294,537.

enically treated to furnish a clean, puricc and bleached stock.

restock which 1 preferably use, and which has yielded the best results, is the fiber made by the process disclosed in my former Patent No. 530,533, dated Dec. 11, 1894. j

I have made repeated efforts to find a marketfor this material, which is produced in great abundance, in mills for making either writing or blotting paper, butsofar without encouragement or success.

I have therefore-sought to' find some use fill-employment for this material, enabling me to work it up at the mills into a. new, useful and distinctive commercial article, and one particularly which will not require the expensive character of machinery and labor essentialin paper mills. i

it is notvnecessary, though desirable, to employ a bleached cotton fiber stock, but'it is of much greaterimportance that the stock be subjected to a softening treatment with caustic soda, which does materially soften the stock, and by dissolving out the cellular matter, renders the fibers porous and absorptive to a remarkable degree. I

Also, it is not necessary,[though highly desirable. to subject thesepurified fibers to a brushing'orbeating machine to'reduce the knots andlrinks and straighten' andto unity the fiber particles into a more uniform stock which. .will. more conzp pulp when worked up with water.

I havediscovered that wh n this stock is mixed-with water, to about the consistency of buttermilk, the mass can be strained and drained, "and compressed into a mold, the 7 fiber givingup its water readily and not tending to flow away with the water.

I. have also discovered that: when thisstock pulp is compressed in a mold, analogone to a brick machine mold, the fibers l Ti will felt and interlace into a compact, uni

body, thereby successfully converting the stock into a blotting bony or block. No eX- pensive or complex machinery is required and a cotton lint or shortiiber stock, having high absorbent quallty can be converted into marketable product, and in this form of a block none of the objections obtain which: are found. when it is attempted to makev cotton fiber into a sheet of blotting pa 'e'n I referring tot-he drawings, 1' indicatesthe block or pad of cotton fiber compressed or molded to a convenient size and thickness to fit into a: holder 2, interchangeable for a.

new block after it has'been completely satu= .rated with ink. Thispad' can be made of such: thickness that it is almost impossible to so thoroughly saturate it withink that it will lose its absorbent qualities. With a thickxpadl' it is possible to absorb andtake up heavy blots ofink withoutispreading the;

same over the surface of the paper.

Further, the absorption 1s. so" instantaneous, and: fixed, that an ink spot or mark taken; up by my device will. not restamp upon the: writing sheet if accidentally con tacting' another portion of the sheet immediately after the blotting operation.-

The cotton seed-hull; fiber preferably is obtainable in almostunlimited quantities fonlow? cost, and my invention so conserves a byproduct having substantially no other field of utility at present. r

The new commodity has" also many other 'useful 'fieldsi other than: as a blotter'deyice, such: as table p'ad's', packing; and other uses to which the new article 1 is applicable.

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. A new article of manufacture consisting of a' mass of absorbent cottonfibers pulp'ed and compressed in: a wet state into weight.

a brick, and then dried, constituting aidense, permanent and highly absorbent blotter of a thickness convenient for handling.

2. A new article of manufacture consisting of a holder in which is secured a blotter brick formed of a mass of pulped, ab-

' scrbent fibers, compressed in a Wet state and then dried into a dense, unitary structure,

the combined holder and blotter brickconstitilting a combined blotter and paper-weight. 3. A new article of manufacture CODSISt ing of a mass of highly absorbent cotton fiber, pulped, compressed and moldedwhen et into a solid, felted .brick,.andathen dried, constituting a durable;. homogeneous body adapted for blotting and papereweight uses, and adapted tobe interchangeablyused with a suitable. holder.

4. A new article of manufacture consisting: of. a mass of highly absorbent" cotton fiber, pulped, compressed! and molded when 7 wet into a solid, felted brick, and then dried, constituting. a durable, homogeneous body characterized by having an smooth, fine texture, bottom-contact surface suitable for blotting: writing-paper, adapted vfor blotting and paper-weight uses, and adapted. to: be interchangeably used withia suitable holder.

5. A new article of manufacture consist ingiof physically and chemically treated cotton fiber compressed wet and dried into a unitary solid block, constltuting a blotter body:characterized by highly absorbent,

penetrating properties." 7 i An article of manufacture consisting of purified cotton fibers felted; molded and condensed into" a relatively thick,isolid and heavy brick, havingia smooth, under-surface, adapted to be used as a blotting. paper- 7.. A; new article of: manufacture consist.- ing of a massof highly'absorbent short cot ton'fiber ordint', compressed and molded in a wet: state into a unitary, solid mass of board thickness, and then dried.

In witnesswhereof, l hereunto subscribe my name, as attested bythe two subscribing witnesses;

WfLLl rr-M o. .iormsoa; Witnesses r 

